Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Parish Church, Aviemore | Restoration Case Study

Our role: Masonry contractor
Client: Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
Scope: New sandstone skews, harling and pointing to rubble walling, repairs to window rybates

Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Parish Church is a Church of Scotland congregation in the centre of Aviemore. The building is a rubble-walled church with three Gothic windows to its side elevation, a slated roof and a bellcote. We carried out masonry repairs for the congregational board in 2008, including new sandstone skews to the gable and the re-harling and pointing of the rubble walls.

The challenge

The church is built in granite rubble, with dressed sandstone to the window surrounds, rybates and gable skews. Rubble walls like these depend on their harling, pointing and stone detailing to shed water, and the exposed gable skews and window dressings are the first places to suffer in the Highland climate. The work had to be carried out on a working church building for a congregation that would continue to use and look after the site, so tidy, well-communicated working was as important as the repairs themselves.

Our solution

The gable skews were renewed in new sandstone, matched to the existing dressings and set to follow the roof pitch. The gable and side walls were re-harled, with the rubble stones left exposed in the traditional manner, and the joints between the stones were repointed to keep the wall face consistent. At the window openings the dressed rybates were repaired and the surrounding granite rubble repointed, so that water is kept out at the most vulnerable points of the wall. Throughout the job the site was kept tidy and the board was kept informed of what had been done, what issues had arisen and what we proposed, which allowed decisions to be taken in good time.

“Comments on your cooperative running of the job ... are very well-deserved. ... People on the outside were always impressed by the way the men and woman tackled their tasks with vigour.”

Ian R S WeaverBoard clerk, Rothiemurchus and Aviemore Parish Church

Outcomes

Gable skews renewed

New sandstone skews now protect the edges of the gable.

Walls re-harled and pointed

Rubble walls to the gable and side elevation re-harled and repointed.

Tidy, cooperative site

The congregation's board praised the running of the job and the way our team worked.

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